In East Java, rice is more than a staple crop — it is livelihood, culture, and identity. For more than a decade, Sirtanio Organik Indonesia has been working at the intersection of all three, partnering with smallholder farmers to preserve heirloom rice varieties while strengthening economic resilience.
Founded in 2012, Sirtanio now works directly with more than 400 smallholder farmers, offering a model built on fairness and stability. By providing organic training, improved seeds, and guaranteed purchase agreements with prices set before planting begins, the company helps farmers reduce uncertainty and earn more from each harvest.
Sirtanio’s work is rooted in Banyuwangi, one of the only regions in Indonesia where natural springs allow rice to grow year-round. Indigenous grains such as red Segobang, Berlian brown rice, and Parijatah black rice have been cultivated here for generations, supported by cultural practices like the Osing tribe’s wiwitan harvest ceremony — expressions of gratitude that tie agriculture to community and spiritual life. By keeping these varieties in active cultivation, Sirtanio helps protect biodiversity, sustain local ecosystems, and preserve agricultural traditions that might otherwise disappear.
For farmers, the impact is tangible. Through Sirtanio’s pricing model, farmers earn 15–35% higher incomes than under conventional systems. For a typical smallholder farming half a hectare, this translates into an additional USD 513–769 in annual income — a meaningful improvement in financial stability.
As one partner farmer, Kiky, who joined Sirtanio in 2015, shared: “There’s certainty of purchase. I don’t have to worry about where to sell. The price is set from the beginning and is above the market. I can just focus on cultivation and productivity.”
Before approving financing, Koko De Vera, Director of Credit, and Alex Tee, Managing Director at Beneficial Returns, visited Sirtanio’s operations and met directly with partner farmers in Banyuwangi. Seeing firsthand how organic practices, cultural traditions, and fair pricing come together to strengthen farmer livelihoods reinforced our conviction in the company’s model.
Beneficial Returns provided a USD 150,000 working capital loan, enabling Sirtanio to purchase organic paddy promptly at harvest and expand its supply of heirloom rice.
This is how traditional agriculture endures and how smallholder farmers build more secure futures.
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